3
An Investor’s Guide
As a teacher or a trainer, you are investing in the learner—if only by way of the time and energy you
exert to improve your teaching techniques. Throughout this book, you’ll find improvement tips that
will make your teaching and their learning fun, fast-paced, and functional. Before we get to those,
however, here is a glossary of techniques and terms used in the book, as well as a checklist designed to
advance your improvement actions.
Participant Assignments. In addition to individual tasks, I will suggest using pairs, triads, teams, and
whole-group exercises to achieve various purposes. When the exercise calls for some type of revelation
or personal experience, pairs or other small-group formations work well. When role-plays are used (or
other exercises calling for an observer to note an interpersonal exchange), I suggest using triads. When
an exercise merits full-group attention, the best method involves speaking to the class as a whole
throughout a given exercise or for any one part of it. One option is to keep one-half of the class busy
while you teach the others “up close and personal.” Then reverse the process.
Quizzes. The element of surprise can be a powerful force in retaining new knowledge. Design quizzes
that both elucidate and educate. By juxtaposing what participants knew pre-quiz with what they learned
post-quiz, they can more quickly appreciate the width of the knowledge-gap. Other quizzes should be
designed to test the degree of retention or to determine the degree of comprehension. (I recommend
that you never ask any one participant how he or she scored on a given quiz. Additionally, never ask for
a show of hands related to scores at the lower end of the continuum.)
Handouts. These are designed to supplement the intent of the exercise and to reinforce the main
points being made. Handouts are also employed when participants need to have a common under-
standing of a situation, on the basis of which they’ll take further action.
As you prepare your handouts, keep in mind their future value. What can you do to prevent them from
being discarded as participants walk out the door? Design them so they will also be useful references or
resources in the future. Consider what is most critical and how it can most easily be presented. By now,
you know my biases regarding PowerPoint. Instead of handouts that are merely copies of your slides,
put some effort into creating handouts that reflect the instructional flow of your presentation—
handouts that contain summaries written in a conversational tone, perhaps, and exercises for future
practice.
Case Studies. Case studies, due to their real-world nature, enable participants to correlate their own
experiences with someone else’s and to project possible outcomes. When the actual outcomes are
compared to their projections, participants will then learn through discussion and analysis how best to
handle comparable situations if and when they occur in their own lives. There’s a safety net associated
with case studies—they reveal pitfalls without making participants take the actual steps into those pits.
By studying how someone else handled or should have handled a difficult situation, participants can
derive benefit that can later be applied to their own personal and professional situations.
Buzz Groups. There’s a definite “buzz” that emanates from a classroom filled with small groups
working on the same assignment and probably approaching it from different perspectives. Trainers can
500 Creative Classroom Techniques for Teachers and Trainers
4
optimize this excitement by establishing a few ground rules, among them the time element and the fact
that groups should try to keep their voices down so others can work more easily. Additional factors to
be considered include the following:
Selection of group participants. To avoid having people who see each other all day long sit together
all day in a training session, here are several possibilities for grouping (or re-grouping).
• Have participants match well-known book titles with their authors. (In a group of 20 participants,
you’d have 10 titles and 10 authors.) Distribute these assigned roles as participants enter the room
and have the “titles” and the “authors” match up.
• As participants enter, give each person a different-colored candy kiss. Then assemble groups based
on their colors.
• Write the name of the course on each of three large sheets of heavy paper or cardboard. Divide
each sheet into irregular puzzle-pieces (seven or eight pieces for each puzzle if the class size, for
example, is 22). Cut the pieces for each sheet and put them in an envelope. Shake the pieces up and
then distribute one to each participant who enters the door. Have participants group themselves
according to the color they selected.
Storyboards. Storyboarding, like so many other creative processes, started with the Walt Disney
company. Today, the technique is used in meetings and training sessions around the world. You can use
storyboards to lead discussions, and participants can use them to execute their project.
If you’ve never used them for instruction, now is a good time to start. If you use them often, you know
their value in terms of focusing a group’s attention in a visual manner and generating discussion.
Typically, a four-foot by four-foot foam board is used with index cards and pins, but there are
numerous variations on this basic theme. Storyboards are used to track a process, to generate creativity,
to achieve clarity, to reach consensus, or to direct wandering attention to the problem
at hand.
You (or the group’s leader) will identify the purpose of the storyboarding task. Then provide relevant
information using index cards pinned to the storyboard or taped to flipchart paper. Class participants
or group members discuss the situation and jot down their ideas on cards, which are then arranged on
the board. If possible, plan a break of some sort, if only a mini-mini-lecture or a brainteaser.
Participants will need time for the ideas to settle and sink in before they return to the situation being
storyboarded.
Then, have them go up to the board and rearrange the cards that are on it until they are satisfied with
the answer or outcome.
Guided Discussions. You can design activities based on relevant articles or monographs that
participants read in class. (Ideally, these should be distributed prior to the class so valuable class time is
not taken up with background reading. The advance arrangement also prevents the “lag” that results
from people reading at different rates.) Once the group has internalized the material, you’ll discuss it
using questions that have been prepared ahead of time.
Scripts. Scripts bring out the creativity in participants. They also help participants develop insights
and convert theory to practical application. Scripts have a way of sharpening the distinctions between
Investor’s Guide
5
best-case and worst-case scenarios, and provide an interesting alternative to direct discussions of a
given point. (Note: Scripts need not always be acted out. Often, the mere exploration of ideas on paper
is sufficient to illustrate the point.)
Role-Play/Simulations. You’ll find some participants naturally hesitant to engage in role-plays. It’s
important for you to overcome that reluctance, though, because role-plays provide an instructional
value not afforded by any other method. Reluctance is usually tied to tension, a tension that results
when individuals think about being someone or something other than themselves. If unchecked,
tension can stultify creativity and can even block the natural flow of ideas.
One simple and quick way to relieve tension is to use the Y-E-S technique: Have the entire group
engage in a deep, satisfying, collective Yawn just prior to the role-plays. Then provide Education about
the value of role-plays (they help participants prepare for real-world encounters, they illustrate
significant points, and they can actually be fun). Also provide education regarding the specific
parameters of the roles and of the exercise itself. Finally, provide a few moments of Silence, during
which they can collect their thoughts (perhaps even jot down a few notes). Then . . . let the role-
plays begin.
Another possibility is to refer to the activity without prefacing it with the words “role” and “play,”
which seem to concern some people.
Finally, provide guidance to the observers so that the debriefing sessions can have maximum benefit.
Have three or four questions ready—perhaps even written on the flipchart so the observers can lead a
discussion that benefits everyone.
For example, questions like these:
“If this role-play could be done a second time, what would you change?”
“Has a situation like this ever occurred in real life?”
“What other options/outcomes might have worked in this situation?”
Assessments. If it weren’t for training opportunities, some participants would never introspect. The
training environment is ideal for encouraging participants to take time to consider questions with
potentially far-reaching implications. These assessments invite self- and organizational analysis.
Panels. An interesting variation on the theme of knowledge acquisition is to use panels. Panels can be
composed of non-participants who are invited to the training room to present their views on a given
topic. Following this presentation, a question-and-answer session will bring effective closure to the
event. Panels, though, can also be composed of participants—volunteers or spokespersons selected by
their table groups to present summaries of the work that groups have just completed. Panel members,
representing the class as a whole, can exchange ideas on behalf of their groups. (An alternative would
be to have participants write additional questions for panel members and to have a moderator collect
these and present them to the panel for response.)
Fishbowls. This technique involves having one group work in the center of the room while the
remainder of the class sits in a wider circle around them, observing their interactions. It’s quite
effective, for example, for those in the center to simulate a meeting while the outside group observes
their interaction and effectiveness in dealing with the issue.
500 Creative Classroom Techniques for Teachers and Trainers
6
A Training Checklist
Included here is a list of responsibilities/recommendations that bespeak both professionalism and an
ethical commitment to the profession. Even if you are only an occasional trainer, I think you’ll find this
list helpful.
• I know this subject well enough to be considered something of an expert in it.
• I get to the room at least half an hour early to set it up and to greet early arrivals.
• I do all I can to make participants feel welcome, such as putting a welcome sign on the door or writing the word
“Welcome” on the flipchart.
• I make a sincere effort to learn about my participants, their work, their goals, their environments, and their strengths
and weaknesses.
• I begin with an introduction to the course, and provide an outline of my objectives and my credentials for teaching the
course. Then I follow with introductions of the participants themselves.
• I take care of “housekeeping” items at the beginning of class.
• I make participants aware of ground rules.
• I try to have all their names memorized before the first break.
• I am familiar with Howard Gardner’s seven intelligences and/or J.P. Guilford’s 124 intelligences and applaud more
than the verbal or mathematical proficiency of participants.
• I work to learn (and post) participants’ expectations for the course.
• I make sure there’s a relevant reason behind all tasks.
• I try to structure courses according to a philosophy like Jesse Jackson’s: “Put a floor beneath each learner and a ceiling
above none.” In other words, I make sure everyone possesses the basics before moving on to more-sophisticated
concepts.
• I actively work to make the learning experience an enjoyable one.
• I can integrate their views into the course material.
• I try hard to keep discussions on target.
• I present an overview or agenda of what the course entails.
• I benchmark with other teachers/trainers to ensure that I am providing the most valuable information in the most
relevant way.
• I am sensitive to diversity issues, including diversity in learning styles.
• I take pride in the professional look of my materials.
• I make deliberate efforts to structure activities to optimize the ABC’s—the Affective realm, the Behavioral realm, and
the Cognitive realm.
• I am aware of the “glazed-over” look characteristic of participants who are confused or overwhelmed by the material,
and make adjustments when I see it.
• I debrief after content-rich activities.
• I use anecdotes and continuously refine my raconteur abilities.
• I actively work to make the learning environment one of comfort and inclusion.
• I seek feedback throughout the session—not just at the end.
• I frequently invite participants to discuss their real-world situations in light of the learning that is occurring.
• I make myself available to participants before and after the class, as well as during breaks.
• I periodically review the material or provide summaries.
• I consciously avoid sarcasm, vulgarity, inappropriate humor, and references that may be offensive.
• I anticipate questions that will arise and prepare responses to them.
• I employ anecdotes to illustrate points.
(continued)
Investor’s Guide
7
A Training Checklist (continued)
• I assure participants that they will never be made to feel uncomfortable.
• I never lecture for more than 15 minutes at a stretch.
• I incorporate humor into the presentation.
• I include relevant news events and statistics in my presentation.
• I am “physical” with the information—i.e., I make dramatic gestures from time to time.
• I provide a change of pace on a regular basis.
• I consciously think about ways to make the presentations interactive.
• I encourage participants to meet and work with others in the room.
• I invite feedback about the presentation.
• I strive to relate the material to participants’ jobs, goals, and lives.
• I schedule breaks as needed.
• I make sure that the screen and flipchart can be seen by every participant.
• I keep abreast of developments in the field.
• I am familiar with Bloom’s Taxonomy and ask questions on all five levels.
• I revise my materials on a continual basis.
• I use media effectively.
• I have not stopped honing my communication skills.
• I employ a wide variety of methodologies.
• I evaluate learning comprehension in a variety of ways.
• I invite questions and feedback on my presentation.
• I invite (but put limits on) the telling of “war stories.”
• I provide ways for participants to be continuous learners.
• I design effective closings.
Each of the twenty chapters that follow has its own Overview. For the sake of gender equity, the
masculine and feminine pronouns will alternate by chapter. Each chapter contains a wide variety of
tips, suggestions, options, cautions, F.Y.I tidbits, and recommendations. I’ve added brainteasers for a
post-activity change of pace. The brainteasers can be used at the beginning of the class to provide an
idea of the kind of brainpower amassed in the room; in the middle of a long activity, when you feel the
class needs a mental break; when you want to get their “cerebral juices” flowing after lunch; when you
have odd minutes to fill, and so on.
Note, too, that many of the techniques refer you to the Appendix, where you’ll find a number of
additional resources.
Einstein once said that love is the best teacher. I’ve loved preparing this compendium. I hope it teaches
you in the best ways possible.
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